Well...... it's getting close to the price of my (show) dog..... almost 3k ... no fish as of yet and not even a month into my first SW set up. I still need a few things before I add livestock, 1 or 2 more PH, a backup heater, long tongs or grabbers of some sort because I cant reach the bottom of the tank... yadda yadda

I have a 90g bow front, hubby and I are NOT DIYers... so this is actual retail price... Have had LR in it a week, it has had water and sand for 2.

Don't go any wider than 2 feet. This keeps lighting the tank in a "resonable" cost range. I have a 37 cube that I have just added a new lighting system to at a cost of 220 dollars. If I went to say, a 50 gallon tank, the cost would be so prohibiitive that I would not be able to afford it.

smaller tanks also mean less Live Rock, less natural sand, smaller filtration system, etc. It's just a bit easier on the wallet. Of couse, you are greatly limited by what you can put in there, but with plenty of research, you will find fish that you love.